Surgery STAT: Rehabilitation therapy of the elbow in dogs

EDITOR'S NOTE: SurgerySTAT is a collaborative column between the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) and DVM Newsmagazine.

Next month, Dr. Canapp finishes his three-part series on elbow dysplasia in dogs by discussing medical management.

Last month, I discussed a new subset of elbow dysplasia known as traumatic fragmented medial coronoid process (TFMCP). In this second part of a three-part series, I cover rehabilitation therapy for the elbow after surgery.

Table 1 Key Principles of Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation after elbow arthroscopy follows a sequential and progressive multiphased approach to return the patient to its previous functional level as quickly and safely as possible. Key principles (Table 1) and a combination of techniques are used to decrease postoperative pain and inflammation, restore range of motion and improve muscle strength and condition. This provides long-term pain relief, facilitates better overall limb function and improves quality of life.

Table 2

The following information and Table 2, provide the basics of a rehabilitation program (goals, modalities, manual treatments and therapeutic exercises) and serve as a general guideline that can be tailored to fit each patient's individual needs through the healing process.

• Laser therapy — Laser irradiation enhances production of cellular ATP, thus mediating release of growth factors, cytokine reactions and cell replication and resulting in an acceleration of delayed tissue healing. Apply 4 to 6 joules per spot, covering the entire treatment area, daily for the first week, every other day during week two and then as needed (Photo 2).